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  • Doctrine outreach improves airmen performance

    In an ongoing effort to increase awareness and understanding of doctrine, the Air Force Doctrine Center here has taken on a more missionary type of role. If feedback and firsthand reports from the field are an indication, it appears AFDC's efforts to share the doctrine "gospel" have had an

  • Students take giant steps using new technology

    Airman David Golas is a lot more confident working with the KC-10 Extender aircraft because he has observed, close up, the systems that make the aircraft work.With the education he received here at the 373rd Training Squadron's Detachment 1, he can trace electronic circuits, track fuel flow and

  • Next generation Web portal testing begins

    The next generation of the Air Force Portal will debut at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on Dec 6.Air Force people assigned to Air Combat Command headquarters and several other units at Langley will participate in the first command- and base-level test of the redesigned portal.Air Force Materiel

  • Buddy system, the Falcon way

    Two F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft take off here Dec. 3 for a training mission. Many base airmen and aircraft recently returned from a 90-day deployment supporting Operation Southern Watch and a two-month deployment to Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, while Aviano's runway was renovated. (Photo by

  • Airman shares Afghanistan experience

    Staff Sgt. Matt never expected to live in a mud hut in the middle of Afghanistan, but that is exactly what he did for nearly 140 daysMatt is a terminal attack controller with the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. When he deployed to Afghanistan in support of

  • A clean delivery

    Senior Airman Nathan Setser, a fuels operator at a forward-deployed location, checks the purity and odor of a liquid oxygen sample to ensure it is operational. Setser is assigned to the 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's fuels management flight. The flight's mission is to provide

  • Eyes on target

    Staff Sgt. Cary Gibson (top) explains aiming procedures for the .50-caliber sniper rifle to 1st Lt. Hong Kim during an explosive ordnance disposal demonstration held at a deployed location in Southwest Asia on Nov. 27. Both airmen are from the 320th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. Gibson is

  • Troops celebrate Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

    While millions of Americans gathered around tables Thanksgiving day for a traditional holiday feast, so too did the thousands of servicemembers supporting Operation Enduring Freedom at military bases across Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.But instead of finding family and friends seated at the table, the

  • Jumper emphasizes total force development during visit

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper met recently with airmen here who support operations Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom.The stop was one of many Jumper and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray are making to observe overseas operations and visit troops during the holiday

  • Civil engineers keep Bagram's airfield in shape

    Before the runway gets potholes large enough to swallow an airplane, the members of the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Element ensure the pilots have a smooth ride when they land.The CE element, a Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force made up of nearly 20 people from four different CE units

  • Contact center expands hours

    Airmen stationed overseas can now get real-time help with personnel issues without having to wake up at 3 a.m. thanks to the expanded hours of the contact center at the Air Force Personnel Center here.Beginning Dec. 2, the new hours, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. CST, will give people overseas a chance to talk

  • Gravy train

    Col. Steve Cameron, commander of the 412th Test Wing here, pours gravy for a diner at the wing's annual Turkey Day festivities. Hundreds of volunteers took time out to bake and serve the traditional Thanksgiving meal to more than 1,000 airmen and base people. (Photo by Phil Kocurek)

  • Medical offical issues notice on ephedra risks

    The Air Force's surgeon general has issued a notice to airmen on the potential risks associated with dietary supplements that contain ephedra, following the death of a young Air Force member in early November.Medical notices are released by clinical quality management division officials from the Air

  • Incirlik adopts the "Alley"

    More than 110 airmen here "adopted the Alley" Nov. 23 by volunteering to pick up trash along a stretch of road off base most frequented by people here.The project, sponsored by Incirlik's Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 1660, was organized to thank Incirlik village merchants for the support

  • Crews prove mettle as mother gives birth at home

    As the Anaheim Angels and San Francisco Giants battled during the third game of the World Series recently, an Eglin couple brought their own little angel into the world -- in the hallway of their on-base home.While Staff Sgt. Jim and Crystal Taylor were watching the game, Riley Dale, 8 pounds, 6

  • Top chief sends Thanksgiving message

    The following is a Thanksgiving Day message to all airmen from Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray:"My wife, Sherry, and I are thankful for many blessings this season -- our children, our faith, our health -- but as we bow our heads to give thanks, it is you who often comes to our

  • Enter the dragon

    Senior Airman David O'Connor, from the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here, inspects the inside of a U-2 Dragon Lady air intake. Intake inspections are just one of the safety inspections O'Connor and his fellow crew chiefs complete to keep the U-2 flying. (Photo by 2nd Lt. Tawny Halvorson)

  • Rescue coordination center answers calls for help

    A private aircraft crashes and the pilot is injured. Unable to call for help, the pilot is still found and rescued. The rescue may be largely credited to members of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center here.The AFRCC belongs to Air Combat Command's Air Operations Squadron."(The mission) is to

  • Keeping the 'Hercs' humming

    Airman 1st Class Lyle Sentman from the 374th Maintenance Squadron engine regional repair center, runs up a pair of C-130 Hercules engines during an operational check here. Sentman is looking for air, fuel and oil leaks during the inspection. The repair center handles all C-130 cargo aircraft

  • Typical day for 517th anything but ordinary

    It was another typical day for aircrew members of the 517th Airlift Squadron. But a typical day for a 517th "Firebird" is anything but ordinary.The day started in darkness as the aircrew entered their double doors. Patches of light on the flightline ramp surrounded the shadowy figures of parked

  • Airmen put a new roof over their heads

    Twenty-five "Project Orphanage" volunteers replaced a dilapidated ceramic tile roof with sheet metal recently on a covered outside play area for children at the Adana Orphanage here.The roof gives the 150 children at the orphanage a place to play during Turkey's upcoming rainy season and shade

  • Caring airmen help at 'Camp Collie'

    People at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., are sharing humane instincts by helping abused dogs and cats following a horrid discovery Halloween night.That night on the U.S.-Canadian border, customs agents stopped a 40-foot semi-trailer coming into Montana from Alaska. The smell from the interior was

  • Medics demonstrate new decon system

    Staff Sgt. Denise Brown (from left), Senior Airman Jennifer Miranda and Senior Airman Kari England, members of the 325th Medical Group here, wash down a manikin to demonstrate the new in-place patient decontamination capability. The system is designed to rapidly decontaminate victims in the

  • Public Health keeps airmen out of 'Danger Zone'

    Each week, Tech. Sgt. Marlon Muthuveeran puts the food service operation at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing dining facility through a rigorous series of tests. He evaluates down to the minutest detail, everything from food storage temperatures to the concentration of the cleaning solution used to

  • That new car smell

    The 48th Fighter Wing here received the first two of 10 new F-15E Strike Eagles bought under contract from the Boeing Co. They are the first new F-15s the wing has received since 1996. The E-model has two Pratt and Whitney F100-P&W-229 engines, each generating 29,000 pounds of thrust. The

  • Americans participate in Keen Sword 03 exercise

    U.S. Air Force, Japanese air self-defense force and maritime defense force helicopters rescued several downed airmen Nov. 14 as part of joint exercise Keen Sword 03. The 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, deployed two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters along with 39 airmen to participate in

  • Fairchild team supporting Southern Watch

    Senior Airman Brian Long signals Staff Sgt. Brian Porzuchowski in the tug as he prepares to connect the tow bar for the KC-135 Stratotanker to the hitch. Both airmen are deployed from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., and currently assigned to the 363rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. The

  • Artist finds inspiration for artwork

    Master Sgt. Robert Marshall sees the world through an artistic lens that allows him to see humor in every situation and then recreate it on paper in cartoons and caricatures.During his off-duty time and an occasional lunch break, he draws a cartoon series called "Seven Deserts" for the base

  • Airmen showing they 'care'

    Learning to live in a deployed environment is a fact of life more and more military members are having to deal with as the United States pursues its global war on terrorism.There is no question that some deployed locations have more to offer than others, and members of the 363rd Air Expeditionary

  • Officials may change Air Force fitness program

    Air Force health officials are proposing a change to the service's fitness program to help airmen place a greater emphasis on their overall health and well-being.Many airmen incorrectly think that the Air Force fitness program is cycle ergometry, according to Maj. Lisa Schmidt, chief of health

  • Reserve commander praises troops, mission

    Awareness of, and appreciation for, the sacrifices of airmen and their civilian employers are the keys to success for the Air Force Reserve, its senior leader said."The point is to understand what they're doing for their country and the sacrifices they have to make in their personal lives and with

  • Dirty bird gets a bath

    Staff Sgt. Rick Casto guides a B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., into the wash rack at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The wash racks here recently received new foam sprayers that cut the washing time of a B-52 in half. Casto is a crew chief

  • 17 receive high honors for heroism

    Seventeen members of the 66th and 58th Rescue Squadrons here were honored recently for their heroic actions and bravery in aerial flight while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the military's highest combat decorations, was awarded to: Maj. John Galik;

  • Air Force's top chief discusses issues

    The most important thing any airman can do is "recognize that what you do is valuable to our nation's very existence and what we stand for," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray during his visit here Nov. 8."When I speak to young airmen, I let them know that their service is

  • Attack!

    Staff Sgt. Chris Lumb (left) and Senior Airman Cao Nguyen observe flightline activities during a combat employment readiness inspection here. The flightline came under "enemy attack" during the exercise, causing simulated injuries to some participants. Lumb is assigned to the base's 374th

  • Airman trades pastry chef's hat for boom

    Airman 1st Class Kai Bresser has a knack for collecting unusual job titles. Before he was a boom operator in the Air Force, he was a pastry chef.Boom operators, as they are commonly known, are in-flight refuelers aboard tanker aircraft. Bresser is currently serving with the 380th Air Expeditionary

  • Lessons of war drive Air Force doctrine

    The Air Force uses the lessons "learned from the blood, sweat, tears, and sometimes death of Americans in the skies" to prepare its doctrine, said Maj. Gen. Dave MacGhee, commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.MacGhee visited here recently to discuss what Air Force

  • Contracting specialists keep mission going

    Does money make the world go around? Maybe the people who spend the money make the world go around. Some of those spenders buy everything the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing uses to carry out its mission."We provide purchasing support for the base, other locations in country and six locations further

  • New history section debuts on Air Force Link

    Air Force Link, the official Web site of the U.S. Air Force, launched a new history and heritage section Nov. 8 to coincide with Veterans Day and the upcoming 100th anniversary of powered flight.The new section documents the achievements of airpower, starting from the early days of wooden-wing

  • Total force, total commitment, total special operators

    A small group of Air Force special operators huddle together in a makeshift tent, miles away from anywhere on a map, planning the intense details of a mission.All the "usual" mission planners are there -- aircrew, intel, weather, special tactics and communications. The team works through the

  • Maintenance troops ensure Falcons are ready to strike

    Weapons loaders swarm beneath an F-16 Fighting Falcon, arming munitions before the fighter takes off on a sortie. The airmen are deployed with 125th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from the Oklahoma Air National Guard in Tulsa, in support of Operation Northern Watch. ONW has been enforcing the

  • Maintaining the Spirit

    Senior Airman Andrew Neitzert and Airman 1st Class Chad Dietz, both crew chiefs with the 509th Maintenance Squadron here, review aircraft forms during an operational contingency exercise Nov 5. The exercise tests the capabilities of the B-2 Spirit to deploy to an expeditionary airfield. (Photo by

  • Keen eye leads to safety of 1,200 F-16s

    An astute observation by a noncommissioned officer here has resulted in widespread changes to maintenance requirements affecting more than 1,200 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.While performing inspections on an F-16, Tech. Sgt. Jason Anderson, a 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron nondestructive

  • Quarterly overseas assignment listing available

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for overseas assignments for the July to September 2003 cycle will be available Nov. 4.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flights to update their preferences by Nov. 21. Airmen will be notified of their selection by Dec. 9, said

  • Hosing 'er down

    Senior Airman Ryan Fletcher, a crew chief with the 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, hoses down an F-16's main landing gear wheel wells as part of routine maintenance. His aircraft is currently flying sorties in support of Operation Northern Watch. (Photo byAirman 1st Class Isaac G. L. Freeman)

  • New dormitory standard means bigger rooms

    Air Force officials have developed a new dormitory standard designed to enhance the standard of living for residents of Air Force dormitories worldwide.Construction on the four-plus-one style of dormitory could begin as early as this year. This style has four airmen sharing a common living area,

  • November issue of Airman available online

    Airmen fighting terrorism, a family of 11 living in base housing, and airmen supporting space shuttle launches highlight the November issue of Airman magazine, now available in print and online.In this month's issue:A strong Japan means a stable Pacific region for the United States, and the Air

  • A 'boo-tiful' tent

    Senior Airman Hypatia Johnson (left) and Staff Sgt. Kristi Lawrence make their way through spider webbing to view the rest of a haunted "tent" at a forward-deployed location Halloween night. The tent mates from the 380th Expeditionary Communication Squadron decked their sleeping facility out in

  • Weather flight keeps 'em flying

    There may be rain today and heat tomorrow, or snow today and dusty winds tomorrow. These are some of the conditions the nine-member Air Force weather flight must contend with at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.Everyone needs to know what the weather is going to do, from the A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots

  • Artistic expression

    Airman 1st Class Justin Gimbel paints a mural on the outside of his unit's office at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Another mural by him is in the foreground. An aerospace ground equipment engineer with the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Gimbel is deployed to Al Udeid AB from Grand

  • Montana wing heading home

    Capt. Jason Green, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot from the Montana Air National Guard's 120th Fighter Wing in Great Falls, puts on his helmet before flying a mission supporting Operation Southern Watch. The wing leaves Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, this week after being deployed as part of

  • 'King' visits Seymour Johnson sergeant

    Richard "The King" Petty paid a visit here Oct. 23 to meet and have lunch with the winner of the "Win the King" contest.Tech. Sgt. Stephen Peterson, noncommissioned officer in charge of the base chapel, won a visit from Petty to his house, lunch with the driver, race tickets and gifts from Petty

  • Dog helps keep flightline safe

    The 314th Operations Support Squadron has a new tool to keep the flightline here safe, and he works for mere kibble.Since Oct. 1, military working dog Colin, a 2-year-old border collie, has patrolled the perimeter fence to deter deer, birds and other wildlife from crossing into the runway

  • Crew chief finds couple in C-130 engine

    Tech. Sgt. J.D. Nix is as country as a split-rail fence along a dirt road. So when the C-130 Hercules crew chief deployed here from Yokota Air Base, Japan, went toe-to-toe with a pair of birds, his animal instinct prevailed.Two bright green parakeets decided the engine intake on Nix's No. 3 engine

  • Port squadron moves OEF cargo, passengers

    Mission "No.1" for the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing is keeping supply lines moving within the Operation Enduring Freedom corridor. When viewing the action on the flightline at a forward-deployed location, it seems everything just happens according to some master plan.That is where the men and women

  • Son follows father's footsteps into firefighting

    As the chief master sergeant walked through the firefighter school here, he exchanged friendly smiles and greetings with students, instructors and other staff members who passed by.Standing at about 6 feet tall with his back straight and his head held high, the man displays an obvious pride in what

  • Sensor system keeping airmen safe

    As the horizon disappears and the sky fades to black, residents here wrap up the day's activities and crawl into bed like bears heading into hibernation for the winter. No worries, no fears of terrorists or enemies invading their resting place -- just soft pillows, warm blankets and sweet

  • Bloody good job!

    Loretta Haynes of the American Red Cross prepares to draw a pint of blood from Airman Basic Ransom Holland, an aerospace propulsion student assigned to the 361st Training Squadron here. Holland joined with other airmen in his unit to collect 325 pints of blood, which broke the previous Texas record

  • Warren airman earns $10K for idea

    A little bit of epoxy sealed Tech. Sgt. Toby Taylor's chances for $10,000.Taylor, training noncommissioned officer in charge of the 90th Maintenance Operations Squadron electrical-mechanical technician team, was recently presented with a $10,000 check from the Air Force Innovative Development

  • Coping

    Master Sgt. Kevin Beaty, from the 613th Contingency Response Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, explains the usefulness of an all-terrain vehicle to Indian security troops guarding an aircraft ramp. Nearly 150 Pacific Air Forces airmen are in Agra for Cope India, a bilateral airlift

  • Defender Challenge competition under way

    Ten security forces teams from U.S. Air Force major commands worldwide, the Department of Energy and the Royal Air Force Regiment gathered here to participate in the 20th annual Defender Challenge competition Oct. 21 to 24."This is a competition of our all-stars," said Brig. Gen. James Shamess,

  • Supply, fuels teams compete during 'Roadeo'

    Thirty-six teams from around the Air Force gathered here to compete in this year's supply and fuels readiness competition, also known as "Roadeo." When it was all over, the team from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, earned bragging rights by accumulating the most points in the three-day competition.The

  • Fire annihilates tent, trailer

    Airman 1st Class Darrel Tirpak, a firefighter from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, puts out the remains of a tent fire during a live demonstration held for wing people at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia. The tent, which is the same type people sleep in, was totally consumed in 3

  • What a big tail you have

    Tech Sgt Russ Gardner, a maintainer with the 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan, inspects the tail of a C-130 Hercules here. The first wave of airmen arrived here Oct. 17 for Cope India, an exercise designed for U.S. and Indian air forces to exchange information on several aspects of

  • By dawn's early light

    A crew chief with the 48th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here stands by as a 494th Fighter Squadron aircrew completes preflight checks on a F-15E Strike Eagle. The 48th Fighter Wing is currently involved in a local tactical evaluation exercise that tests the wing's ability to operate and survive in

  • 'myPay' provides online pay resources

    A program designed to help Air Force people manage their pay more easily went online Oct. 15.Formerly named the Employee/Member Self-Service program, myPay offers improved online services for active-duty, Guard and Reserve airmen, civilian employees, retirees and beneficiaries, said Bruce S. Lemkin,

  • Turkey falcons

    Senior Airman Michael Solberg, an F-16 Fighting Falcon crew chief, waits to marshal his aircraft, flown by Capt. Kevin Menard, onto the taxiway at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, prior to an Operation Northern Watch sortie. Both airmen are deployed with the 78th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. ONW

  • 27 RAF Lakenheath airmen suspected of drug use

    Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents here ended a four-month-long counternarcotics operation Oct.13. The operation provided evidence that 27 U.S. Air Force active-duty airmen from the base may have been involved in the use, possession, and distribution of controlled substances.The

  • Ready for a challenge

    Airman 1st Class Kevin Reid, from the 89th Security Forces Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., assumes an ambush position during tactics training here. Reid is a member of the Air Mobility Command Defender Challenge team that will represent the command at the annual worldwide security forces

  • For you, my friend

    Staff Sgt. Ken Ahrens, a 363rd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal craftsman, accepts a rock as a gift from the remote ordnance neutralization system during training on using the robot's arm. Ahrens is part of a 10-member EOD flight responsible for protecting aircraft

  • Mass casualty exercise focuses on readiness, teamwork

    The 363rd Expeditionary Medical Group got an edge on readiness and teamwork during a mass casualty exercise recently."Exercises like this keep us prepared for anything," said Lt. Col. Les Folio, 363rd EMDG chief of aerospace medicine and exercise coordinator from Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "We

  • 'AGEing' in the desert

    Senior Airman Amanda View, a 363rd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment journeyman, tightens a line on a hydraulic test stand. The AGE flight has many responsibilities including delivering support equipment to aircraft and providing lighting to various parts of the base.

  • Good morning, Incirlik!

    Actor and comedian Robin Williams is greeted by Staff Sgt. Kerry Warren and his partner, Xasco, during a visit here Oct. 14. Williams viewed a working dog demonstration by the 39th Security Forces Squadron and met with wing people, family members and deployed airmen supporting operations Northern

  • Schriever bodybuilder works at professional status

    A bodybuilder here who placed fourth in the U.S.A. Championships in August is busy sculpting his body for a professional qualifier match in Dallas next month.William Owens, a captain with the 22nd Space Operations Squadron, started working on his physique 20 years ago at age 13. In 1990, at his

  • All aboard!

    Air Force tactical air control party airmen with Detachment 1 of the 4th Air Support Operations Group and soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, both from Vicenza, Italy, wait on the ramp here to load onto C-130 Hercules aircraft from the base's 86th Airlift Wing on Oct. 9. The airmen and

  • An eye for detail

    Master Sgt. Shawn Williams, a terminal attack controller from Detachment 1-1 in Friedberg, Germany, checks grid references prior to establishing communications with an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot from the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, during a live weapons drop at a South

  • Overseas returnee assignment listing available soon

    The Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing for people returning from overseas February to April will be available Oct. 14.Individuals need to work through their military personnel flight or commander's support staff to update assignment preferences by Oct. 31. Airmen will be notified of their

  • Out on a limb

    Senior Airman Jeff Risko, from the 86th Maintenance Squadron here, replaces a bleed-air manifold duct on a C-130 Hercules aircraft Oct. 3. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Justin D. Pyle)

  • 'Victim' gets a shower

    Airman 1st Class Jamie Kershaw, a firefighter here, sprays simulated victim Airman 1st Class Edgar Moso to decontaminate him during an accident-response exercise here Oct. 2. The exercise tested the 49th Fighter Wing's capability to respond to a major accident involving a hazardous-material spill.

  • Retired combat controller returns to duty

    Retirement for Master Sgt. Jay was five years of adventure in Alaska as a king crab fisherman, a state law enforcement officer and a Trans-Alaskan Pipeline security officer. But the former airman missed the adventure of being an Air Force combat controller and has returned to active duty to add

  • Malmstrom airman's idea earns $10K

    Everyone likes to save money and the Air Force is no exception. So when Master Sgt. Bruce Ronke submitted a price challenge saving the Air Force $400,000 annually, the Air Force awarded him $10,000.Ronke, the former noncommissioned officer in charge of weapons and tactics codes operations here,

  • Air Force reduces number of deployed security forces

    Air Force officials have reduced the number of security forces needed at deployed locations by 10 percent, allowing more than 200 airmen to come home earlier than originally planned.The adjustment was the result of a manpower assessment and helps reduce the operations tempo for this critically

  • Airmen brave hazards inside fuel tanks

    Keeping fuel flowing to an aircraft engine is an essential part of flight. Fuel systems specialists from the 374th Maintenance Squadron here operate around the clock ensuring Air Force aircraft fuel systems are safe and in peak operating condition.The 14-person team is responsible for diagnosing

  • 'Oh say can you see...'

    Senior Airman Marcie Mascaro and Airman 1st Class LaTanza Meabon, both touring performers with Tops In Blue, invite an airman to help sing the "Star Spangled Banner" during the opening of their performance at a forward-deployed location supporting Operation Enduring Freedom recently. Tops In Blue,

  • ROTC offers airmen education, commissioning opportunities

    Enlisted people interested in becoming commissioned officers may want to consider Air Force ROTC.Airmen have four Air Force ROTC commissioning programs from which to choose. If selected, they will enroll and will receive a commission when they complete the program.The programs are the Airman

  • Loss turns fireman into renter's insurance advocate

    An off-duty firefighter driving on base here waved casually as a Robins fire truck passed by. Within minutes, he learned that the truck was headed for his house.Airman 1st Class Michael P. Lecik would soon learn that he and his wife, Tiffany, had lost all but their kitchen table in a fire that

  • Latest issue of Citizen Airman magazine now available

    A little more than a year into the nation's war on terrorism, Air Force leaders are in the midst of a transition from a "crisis-response" mode, with heavy reliance on mobilized Guard and Reserve members, to a new steady state, which relies mainly on volunteer reservists and guardsmen to help meet

  • Kunsan civilian re-connects with Korean War savior

    A civilian employee here recently re-established ties with the man who saved his life and the Air Force unit that adopted him during the Korean War.Yong Ku "Mike" Yi, an employee at the base skills center, received an honorary induction into his savior's unit, the 6147th Tactical Control Group's

  • Veterans giving free phone cards to airmen

    Servicemembers who have served overseas in the past are once again giving assistance to those currently serving overseas.The Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation, through the Air Force Aid Society, is providing phone cards and other items to overseas Air Force members and to their families at

  • Putting a chokehold on mold

    Staff Sgt. Richard P. Zolnowski III, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technician, checks the inside of an air conditioning duct for mold and excessive wear. The technician and his co-workers are replacing the worn plenums in airmen's sleeping quarters to sustain good air

  • Spirit in the sky

    The "Spirit of Kitty Hawk," a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., flies over the base here. Three B-2s will be here for a week while aircrews participate in war games in Alaska. (Photo by Senior Airman Christina M. Rumsey)

  • A snap with a map

    Senior Airman Daniel Avila Jr., an Air Force intelligence applications journeyman, works on maps at the Combined Air Operations Center at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Avila is assigned to the intelligence directorate supporting Operation Northern Watch that has been enforcing the no-fly zone over

  • A little help from a friend

    Airman Jimmy Garibaldi (right), from the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron here, hoses down Staff Sgt. Matthew McQuaig to start the decontamination process during the 52nd Fighter Wing's operational readiness inspection Sept. 20. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy Cook)

  • Air Force, NASCAR teams compete in 'reverse pit stop'

    Elite teams of highly skilled professionals from NASCAR and the Air Force faced off on the flightline here Sept. 19 in a unique competition dubbed the "reverse pit stop." The purpose of the three-hour event was to demonstrate the many similarities and contrasts between the two organizations and to

  • Mass re-enlistment honors birthday

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper recites the oath of enlistment at a mass re-enlistment ceremony honoring the service's 55th birthday Sept. 19. Participating in the ceremony were 55 airmen from the surrounding National Capitol Region. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth)

  • Basic training opens chemical warfare facility

    Times are changing, and Air Force basic military training is evolving with them.The Air Force unveiled its latest addition to BMT on Sept. 16 at Lackland's Warrior Week encampment site: a nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional warfare training facility."The addition of this new facility

  • AAFES employee deploys instead of her spouse

    Oddly, a temporary assignment half way around the world in Southwest Asia is bringing Cathy Talley, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service manager, closer to her husband stationed at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.She is one of the more than 70 AAFES employees who volunteer to spend six months abroad to

  • Our town

    The military base at Bagram, Afghanistan, is home to U.S. airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Bagram Air Base is about 25 miles north of the Afghan capital of Kabul. Residents have turned the former Soviet fighter base full of mined areas into a functional

  • Airmen may be able to carry over 'use or lose' leave

    Active-duty airmen who were unable to take annual leave this past year because they were supporting contingency operations will be allowed to accumulate more than the normal 60 days after the fiscal year ends.Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members who performed full-time training or other

  • Happy birthday to us

    Airman 1st Class Conner Maher (left) and Col. Gregory Ihde cut cakes at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, in celebration of the Air Force's 55th birthday Sept. 18. Maher, 20, is deployed with the 822nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Traditionally, as the most junior